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Wood Packaging Material

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Untreated wood packaging material can allow pests like the emerald ash

borer to enter the United States.

Commodities shipped in and out of the United States supported by wood packaging

material are at risk of carrying damaging plant pests. Pests like the emerald ash

borer and the Asian longhorned beetle can infest the wood and be introduced into
the United States. These pests can destroy millions of trees and cost billions of

dollars in losses and damage control.

To protect against harmful pests like these, APHIS has adopted ISPM 15, an

international standard with best practices for preventing the spread of harmful pests

in wood packaging used in international trade. If you don't follow these practices,

you risk having your shipment delayed or re-exported. We work with U.S. Customs

and Border Protection agricultural specialists to enforce these regulations at U.S.

ports of entry.

Learn what ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material looks like

ISPM 15 Compliance

APHIS regulates imported wood packaging material per the International Plant

Protection Convention’s (IPPC) adopted International Standard 15 (ISPM 15),

"Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade." ISPM 15 is proven to

prevent the introduction of harmful pests into the United States. We use the same

standard for exports to ensure wood packaging material meets importing countries’

requirements and does not spread damaging pests.

The ISPM 15 standard covers any hardwood or softwood packaging for a commodity.

Regulated wood packaging material includes, but is not limited to, pallets, skids,

pallet collars, containers, crates, boxes, cases, bins, reels, drums, load boards, and

dunnage. Wood packaging material made of exempt materials that is combined with

regulated, solid wood components must still be treated and marked; examples of

exempt materials include plywood, particle board, oriented strand board, and

laminated veneer lumber.

As an importer, you need to ensure that all wood packaging material entering or

transiting the United States is pest-free, debarked, heat-treated or fumigated, and

marked with an ISPM 15 logo certifying that it has been appropriately treated.

Shipments containing noncompliant wood packaging material will not be allowed to

enter the country.

As an exporter, you need to know if the country you are exporting to requires wood

packaging material to be ISPM 15-compliant. If the country does, then you are

responsible for complying with their ISPM 15 wood packaging material requirements.
What Wood Packaging Is Not Regulated?

The following items are considered low risk and are exempt from the ISPM 15

standard:

Wood packaging material made entirely from thin wood (6 millimeters or less in

thickness)

Wood packaging made wholly of processed wood material, such as plywood,

particle board, oriented strand board, or veneer that has been created using

glue, heat, pressure, or a combination thereof

Barrels for wine and spirit that have been heated during manufacture

Gift boxes for wine, cigars, and other commodities made from wood that have

been processed or manufactured in a way that renders them free of pests

Sawdust, wood shavings, and wood wool

Wood components permanently attached to freight vehicles and containers

Exception: If these materials are combined with nonmanufactured wood packaging

material, you must make sure the nonmanufactured wood packaging material is

treated and properly marked.

Sources of ISPM 15-Compliant Wood Packaging Material in the United States

Exporters have three options for obtaining ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging

material in the United States:

1. Purchase heat-treated or fumigated wood packing material that bears the ISPM

15 mark

2. Become an ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material manufacturer and

purchase the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) accredited heattreated grade mark lumber to construct wood packing material

3. Use a registered ISPM 15 heat treatment or fumigation facility to treat and

mark any unmarked wood packing material

You can contact the ALSC to find sources of compliant wood packaging material or

learn how to become an ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material manufacturer.

In Other Countries

If you are an importer, you should source wood packaging material in other

countries from a registered and accredited manufacturer. The packing material
should be heat treated or fumigated according to the IPPC regulations. You can

contact the National Plant Protection Organization of the shipment’s country of

origin for more information.

Treatment Programs

The American Lumber Standard Committee manages two quality control programs

for treatment of wood packaging material under an agreement with APHIS. These

programs ensure that wood packaging material labeled with the ISPM 15 official

mark has been properly treated in compliance with the ISPM 15 standard. If you are

a wood packaging material producer, you must enroll with an ALSC-accredited

inspection agency.

Heat Treatment Program

For heat-treated wood packaging material to be ISPM 15-compliant, you must

produce it by one of two methods:

Purchase previously heat-treated lumber with an ALSC-accredited agency mark

and use it to construct the wood packaging material, or

Construct wood packaging material from lumber that is not heat treated, place

the product in a heat chamber, and heat treat the wood packaging material

product to achieve the minimum wood core temperature of 56 degrees Celsius

for at least 30 minutes.

You must then label the product with an ALSC-accredited agency quality mark to

show the heat-treated wood packaging material is compliant with ISPM 15. The

presence of the mark attests that the wood packaging material meets importing

countries’ regulations based on ISPM 15.

Methyl Bromide Fumigation Program

Under the methyl bromide fumigation program, wood packaging material must be

treated by fumigators certified in the program to be ISPM 15-compliant. The

accredited agency quality mark must then be applied.

If you need to have wood packaging material fumigated, you can contact a

fumigator registered in the program or register with one of the accredited inspection

agencies. You can find a list of inspection agencies and registered fumigators on the
ALSC website.

Purchasing Treated Wood Packaging Material

Exporters can also purchase or reuse treated wood packaging material with the ISPM

15 mark on the secondary market from certified wood packaging material

producers. To check that wood packaging material you purchase is compliant, you

can contact an inspection agency from the list on the ALSC website.

Other Resources

ALSC Wood Packaging Material Program Policies

ALSC Wood Packaging Material Program Enforcement Regulations

Treatment FAQs

What is a quality/treatment mark?

For both heat treatment (HT) and methyl bromide (MB) fumigation programs, the

quality/treatment mark consists of:

The U.S. agency trademark, which is the identifying symbol, logo, or name of

the accredited agency and is found outside of the ISPM 15 mark

The facility identification, which is the wood packaging material product

manufacturer assigned facility number

The HT or MB mark

The country code, which is the two letter ISO country abbreviation

The IPPC-approved international symbol for compliant wood packaging material

"DUN" when the wood packaging material is considered dunnage

Can I make my own ISPM 15 mark?

No. You must be registered with one of the accredited inspection agencies. Here are

links for lists of inspection agencies and their contact information:

Heat Treatment Program

Methyl Bromide Program
Is there a listing of lumber mills where heat-treated lumber may

be purchased?

APHIS does not have information about lumber mills that provide HT-marked wood.

You should request further information from the inspection agencies.

Is my wood packaging material required to be heat treated and

fumigated?

No. wood packaging material is required to be either heat treated to 56 degrees

Celsius to the core for at least 30 minutes or fumigated with methyl bromide to the

schedule in the ISPM 15 standard.

Is there an expiration date once my wood packaging material

has been either heat treated or fumigated?

The intent of the ISPM 15 standard is that once the wood packaging material is

treated and officially marked, the treatment does not expire. You can reuse wood

packaging material without retreating and remarking.

However, wood packaging material that has been repaired or remanufactured must

be either fumigated or heat treated again. The old mark must be obliterated with a

new mark applied by one of the inspection agencies.

My wood packaging materials are made up of hardwood. Is

hardwood wood packaging material required to be treated and

officially marked?

Hardwood wood packaging material is required to be treated and officially marked.

Best Practices for Industry

Tips for Importers
Industry and importers can take many steps to promote ISPM 15 compliance. We

encourage companies to adopt these best practices to avoid delayed or destroyed

shipments:

Ask your wood packaging material provider if they are ISPM 15-compliant and

accredited. Review the certification provided by the exporting country’s

national plant protection organization (NPPO).

Provide information to the exporter on the ISPM 15 standard.

Share regulation information with the exporter to assist them in becoming

compliant. The NPPO will have information on the local program.

Require ISPM 15 compliance in the contract.

Require exporters to inspect the wood packaging material for signs of pests

when delivered or before use.

Do a cost benefit analysis if considering alternatives to wood packaging

material (such as plastic, particle board, or plywood).

Understand there is a cost for noncompliance, including penalties, demurrage,

re-export costs, and production delays.

Increase your exporters' awareness about ISPM 15 issues, so they look for the

official ISPM mark on the wood packaging material and any signs that pests

could be present.

Alternatives to Wood Packaging Material

Importers may consider using alternatives to wood packaging material. The

following products are not subject to APHIS regulation:

Plywood or pressboard

Plastic pallets

Oriented strand board

Hardboard

Parallel strand lumber

Synthetic foam

Metal frames

Inflated dunnage

Masonite veneer

Laminated veneer lumber
Tips for Exporters

Some countries require you to use ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material.

APHIS and the wood packaging material industry administer an export program to

guarantee wood packaging material compliance with trading countries’ import

requirements. The program ensures certified treatment and marking of wood

packaging material for international trade, while maintaining the packaging

material’s traceability.

There are three options for obtaining ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material in

the United States:

1. Purchase heat-treated or fumigated wood packaging material that bears the

ISPM 15 mark.

2. Become an ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material manufacturer and

purchase ALSC-accredited agency, HT grade-marked lumber to construct wood

packaging material.

3. Use a registered ISPM 15 heat treatment or fumigation facility to treat and

mark any unmarked wood packaging material.

Contact the ALSC to obtain sources of compliant wood packaging material or

become an ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material manufacturer.

APHIS' Impact

Our Plant Protection and Quarantine program is cracking down on U.S. companies

that place counterfeit marks on exported wood packaging material. Official marks

certify that the wood was treated in accordance with ISPM 15 and is free of woodboring tree pests. When companies apply fake marks to untreated wood, they

imperil forests in the United States and worldwide. APHIS has prosecuted 88 ISPM 15

fraud cases during the last 11 years and levied $329,000 in fines and $54,937 in

restitution since 2015.